Barbara Waxman, Speaker

What Barbara Brings to Your Events

As a gerontologist, coach and author, Barbara focuses on the impact and opportunity that understanding Middlescence, life’s newest stage, can have for ourselves, our families, businesses, communities and the world. Honed from work with hundreds of clients and deep and varied background, Barbara uses a balance of warmth, intelligence, humor and passion to motivate audiences towards clarity, commitment and action.

“I loved Barbara’s presence at the event: powerfully soft and approachable, grounded and warm, wise and on her “edge.” She was generous, beautiful, and excitingly real and alive!”

Who You Might Be

Past events include Stanford Graduate School of Business, Colgate University, The American Society on Aging, Osher Lifelong Living Institute, Morgan Stanley, Pandora Media, SERGE, among others. Barbara has spoken in small seminar venues as well as large hall events.

A Sample of Topics

Consciously Curate Your Life and Leadership

You’ve had an exceptional career. You’ve built a rich life and yet even with all you’ve accomplished, you’re hungry for more. You’re seeking answers: have life’s most significant decisions already been made? Do you dare to rock the boat?

Yes, you should! 25% of Americans wish they had taken more risks, and 39% regret not following their dreams. It’s time to unleash them.

The first step is to recognize that you have every right to feel this way. Increased life expectancy has fundamentally created a new stage of life like the term “adolescence” was coined in 1904. I call life’s newest stage Middlescence.

Bring out your inner-adolescent to creatively think about your future in expansive ways in this interactive and engaging presentation.

Middlescence: A New Age. New Stage. Midlife Redefined.

Do you ever feel like your story has been written? Do you wish you had a bit more of that certain something that gives life a sense of meaning?

The demographic gift of the 21st century, more active years in our lives, also comes with the added burden of figuring out how to embrace aging in new and dynamic ways. According to a recent survey, almost half of Americans say they want a new model for midlife.

We’ll take the stale way of thinking about midlife, turn it on its head and rename it “Middlescence.” You will leave with:

– An understanding of why this isn’t your parents’ midlife– A new paradigm for looking at your life, your goals, and your dreams– Awareness of the process, where you are, and what comes next

Join me if:

You wish this life stage came with a model for making the big changes you may be seeking– You have the feeling you’ve been living a B+ life but you want to be an A student

The Five Essential Elements

Why do some people thrive in the midst of a challenge while others wither? Does the tyranny of busy-ness need to be a staple of your life? How can you get more done in less time without sucking your sense of wellness dry?

The success of high achievers in any realm rests upon their structured investment in themselves in order to produce extraordinary results. Having the consistent energy you crave rests upon five essential elements. Discover how these five elements can be a part of your daily life and experience your most vital and effective self, at home and work.

In addition to your personal goals, this workshop is also useful for in the workplace. Today, over 80% of U.S. employees say that they don’t feel engaged with or committed to their work. That adds up to a loss of over $450 billion annually. When companies enacted practices addressed by The Five Essential Elements, they reported improvement across the board.

In this workshop, you will use The Thriving Quiz and the Five Essentials to assess your current energy status, determine your next best steps, and create a plan that is clear, actionable and effective.

Here’s a little secret: There is no such thing as retirement anymore! Concluding your full-time paid or unpaid career doesn’t mean being “put out to pasture.” On the contrary, it can be an opportunity to begin a new and exciting chapter of your life.

When retirement was created (yes, it was created), people were only expected to live for about 10 more years, and not all of those very robustly. Now, we are living longer, healthier lives and are hungry for meaning, engagement, and purpose.

Sharing stories, facts, coaching tools, and resources, Barbara will inspire you to shed old stories about the retirement years and take on new ways to imagine and create your future path.